Northumbria
University, Newcastle, recently welcomed a group of leading academics and professionals to
Newcastle for an international seminar demonstrating the contribution of
science and medicine to complex cases and problems in the justice system internationally.
The one-day seminar
attracted participants from Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands and the
UK. The group examined a range of issues which demonstrated the importance of
forensic science and medicine to public safety, health and wellbeing.
Examples of the
cases and issues covered during the session includes the forensic science
contribution to the Stephen Lawrence and Joanna Yates inquiries, how blood
pattern analysis helped to exonerate a man accused of GBH with intent, and the
ethical and legal aspects of genetic identification of victims of crime in
Brazil.
The conference also
featured a panel discussion on the challenging issue of Medical Assistance in
Dying, which was led by Alfredo Walker, a registered Forensic Pathologist from
the University of Ottawa, Jon Maskill, a consultant in anaesthetics and
intensive care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Jeffrey Keeble, head of
litigation and healthcare at Ward Hadaway.
Martin Evison,
professor in Forensic Science in the Faculty of Health and Life Science at
Northumbria University coordinated the conference with Dr Carole McCartney, a
reader in the School of Law.
He said: “The
seminar was a cross-faculty initiative of science and justice, medical and
mental health law, and forensic science research groups. The feedback we’ve received has been excellent. The conference has served
to share and expand knowledge in fascinating areas of medicine and forensics.”
For related research please visit Northumbria Law School's Science and Justice Research Interest Group.
